Gtjstave koch



' No. 608,407. Pafented Aug. 2,1898.

' a. KOCH.

STOPPER FOR BOTTLES OR OTHER RECEPTAGLES.

(Application filed Ian. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED. STATES) PATENT Fries,

GUSTAVE KOCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HARRY C. BLYE, OF SAMEPLACE.

STOPPER Fo BOTTLES OR OTHFR RECEPTACLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,407, dated August2, 1898. Application filed January 10, 1898. Serial No. 666,161. (Nomodel.)

- of the character hereinafter described and claimed, said stopperconstituting a'substitute for the usual cork stoppers and possessingfeatures of novelty diiferentiatin g it from all other known stoppers.

The distinct features of novelty embraced in the stopper will be pointedout hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a central vertical section through a stopper embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a like view of same shown applied within the mouthof an ordinary bottle, the bottle being in section and the tool fordriving the stopper home and eifecting the sealing being illustrated inside elevation in position above the stopper. Fig. 3 is a like View ofsame, the stopper being shown in its sealin g position and the toolbeing indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 4; is a top view of same aspresented in Fig. 2 and denotes by the dotted line 2 '2 the section onwhich Fig. 2 is taken. Fig. 5 is a top view of same as presented inFig.3 and denotes by the dotted line 3 3 the section on which Fig. 3 istaken, and Fig. 6 is a central vertical section of the stopper shownapplied within the neck of a Rhine-wine bottle.

In the drawings I illustrate the preferred form of stopper embracing thevariou's'features of my invention, A denoting the stopper, B a bottle toreceive and be sealed byit, and O a convenient form of tool by which thestopper may be driven into the bottle-neck with sealing effect.

The stopper A in its preferred form comprisesthe hollow metallic plug,having its lower end closed by a dish-shaped bottom a and provided withsides whose lower portions 1) (about three-sixteenths of an inch inheight) are substantially vertical and parallel and whose upperportions, comprising a comparatively extensive surface area, divergeupward andoutward on curved lines to the extreme upper edge of thestopper, the said metallicplug above its lower part having a diametergreater than that of the bottle-neck it is to close and seal.

The various functions accomplished by my invention may be given fulleffect by a stopper of the 1 character above described, and hence theone form of stopper shown is a full illustration of the several featuresof the invention, although it is to be understood that this invention isnot limited except as indicated in the claims.

One of the main purposes of the invention is to provide a metal plugstopper capable of properly sealing all usual bottles, and thus avoidingany necessity for the special manufacture of bottles possessing peculiarand unusual necks or necks containing grooves, shoulders, screw-threads,or other unusual formations; and a further purpose of the invention isto provide a metal plug stopper capable of effectually sealing thebottle or other receptacle without the aid of rubber, cork, andanalogous gaskets.

My invention is based on new principles of construction andoperation,and they,with the accomplishment of the purposes above indi-8o cated,will be understood from a consideration of the method of usingthe stopper shown in the drawings.

I The stopper A will be placed firmly within the mouth of 'the bottle orreceptacle in the 8 5 manner shown in Fig. 2, in which it will beobserved that the upper outwardly-flaring sides of the stopper are abovethe upper edges of the mouth of the bottle and are incapable of enteringthe mouth of the bottle except 0 under definite positive pressure. Fig.2 illustrates the stopper pushed into the bottle-neck as far as it ispossible for the stopper to go under the pressure of the hand. .Aft-erthe stopper has been applied to the bottle in the 5 manner shown in Fig.2 the tool C will have itslower end inserted within the stopper and itsflange D brought upon the upper edges of the stopper, and thereuponpressure will be applied to the upper end of the tool 0, the mo effectof which will be that the flange D on the tool 0 will act upon the sidesof the stopper to drive the latter farther downward into the bottle andalso to turn over the upper edges of the stopper to form the flange (1.(Shown in Fig. 3.) The downward pressure of the flange I) of the tool 0thus, so far as the flange 1) of said tool is concerned, drives theentire stopper downward into the bottle and also forms the flange (Z onthe upper edges of the stopper. The normal height of the stopper is suchthat the lower reduced end E of the tool 0 does not operate upon thedishshaped bottom of the stopper until after the upper edges of thestopper have been turned over by the flange D and the stopper thusshortened sufficiently for the lower extremity of the reduced end E ofthe tool 0 to reach and act upon the dish-shaped bottom of the stopper.Thus the first action of the tool C is not to flatten the bottom of thestopper, but to forcibly drive the stopper into the bottle and curl theupper edges of the stopper, and thereupon the pressure or eoneussiveforce continuing upon the upper end of the tool U the lower reduced endE of the latter will act upon the dish-shaped bottom of the stopper andserve to move said bottom into a flattened condition, whereby the lowerportion of the side walls of the stopper are driven into sealing contactwith the inner walls of the neck of the bottle. The stopper when driveninto the bottle sut'liciently for its outwardly-flaring sides to becrowded into the narrower diameter of the bottle-neck effects along theupper portions of its sides a sealing contact with the walls of thebottle, due to the contraction and compression of said sides and theirnatural outward flexion against the inner walls of the bottle-neck. Theflattening of the bottom of the stopper by the tool (I not only carriesthe outer peripheral edges of said bottom against the bottle-neck, butmoves a substantial area of surface of the sides of the stopper againstthe bottle-neck, and thus the dish-shaped bottom and vertical sides ofthe stopper combine to produce the sealing effect, and said sides thusmoved outward by the flattening of the dish-shaped bottom will fill thesomewhat irregular shapes found in the usual bottles and produce aliquid-tight joint without the employment of a gasket and without theemployment of shoulders, grooves, and unnatural formations in the neckof the bottle and without the employment of tools acting laterallyagainst the sides of the stopper, all of which previous conditions,remedied by the present invention, are decidedly objectionable.

In its preferred form the stopper A has a compound scaling action, theupper walls of; the stopper by contraction and compression coupled withtheir outward flexion sealing themselves against the upper portions ofthe bottle-neck and the lower portions of the sides of the stopper bytheir direct outward pressure closely sealing themselves against thesides of the bottle-neck. The inward contraction and compression of theupper portions of the sides of the stopper also create a tendency in thelower portions of said sides to move with firmness against the walls ofthe bottle-neck. The stopper produced in accordance with my invention isthus of substantial height and throughout its height has its extendedsurfaces in sealing contact with the walls of the bottle. The lowerdish-shaped end of the stopper performs functions which have neverheretofore been performed by any of the known dish-shaped disks. Thedishshaped bottom of the stopper made the subject of this applicationmoves outward definite portions of the vertical sides of the stopper andeffects the sealing contact of said sides with the walls of thebottle-neck, the said bottom after moving the said sides outwardoperating to restrain said sides from returning to their inward ornormal position.

I have demonstrated that the stoppers embodying the present inventionare capable of effecting a satisfactory seal without the use of anygasket whatever and without the use of any specially-constructodbottles, the said stopper being adapted for use with the ordinarybottlcs found in the market.

It is not necessary for me and I do not limit the invention to thenon-use of astrip of paper or other binding agent around the sides ofthe stopper shown, since the stopper shown is in itselfnovcl inconstruction and operation.

There maybe some metals out of which the stoppers might be constructedwhich would not be sufticiently yielding to effect the sealing of thebottles without the use of a strip of; paper or other analogous bindingagent around the stopper; but with all metals posscssing the ductilecharacter of aluminium, britannia metal, and othersoft metals no gasketof any kind is necessary of employment, the metal stopper being of suchconstruction and function as to effectually seal the bottle with themetal in direct contact wi th the glass.

If the stopper should be used in bottles coir taining any liquids likelyto corrode the stoppers, I should recommend that the surfaces of thestopper be dipped in wax previous to their insertion into the bottlesfor the protection of said stoppers against the action of the liquids.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The stopper consisting of the hollow ductile plug closed at its lowerend and being intermediate its ends of greater normal or initialcross-section than the neck of the bottle 0r receptacle to receive it,whereby said stopper requires the application of force for its insertioninto said neck, and has its side walls thereby brought into sealingcontact with the said neck and made to conform to the usual plain thoughat times somewhat irregular surfaces of the same, the lower end of saidstopper being dish-shaped and so proportioned to said neck that on beingflattened it will move the lower portions of the sides of the stopperinto intimate binding and sealin contact with said. neck and operate IIOas a fixed wedge to lock the stopper in position; substantially as setforth.

2. The stopper consisting of the hollow ductile plug closed anddish-shaped at its lower end and having the upwardly-diverging sidesforming extended vertically continuous sealing-surfaces for directcontact with the walls of the neck of the bottle or receptacle toreceive the stopper, the said stopper being above its lower end, ofgreater normal or initial cross-section than said neck, whereby saidstopper requires the application of force for its insertion into saidneck and has its side walls thereby contracted and brought into sealingcontact with the said neck and made to conform to the usual plain thoughat times somewhat irregular surfaces of the same, and the saiddish-shaped lower end .of said stopper being so proportioned to saidneck that on being flattened it will move the lower portions of thesides of the'stopper into intimate binding and sealing contact with saidneck and operate as a fixed Wedge to lock the stopper in position;substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a bottle or receptacle the inner walls of whoseneck present the usual-plain surfaces, the hollow ductile plug havingthe sides and a dished end and so proportioned with respect to said neckas to, upon direct insertion, tightly fit said walls and be locked intofixed sealingcontact therewith simply by flattening said dished end;substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a bottle or receptacle the inner walls of whoseneck present the usual plain surfaces, the hollow ductile plug havingthe upwardly-divergin g sides and closed lower end and so proportionedwith respect to said neck as to, upon direct insertion, have said sidescontracted and conformed to the surfaces of said walls and brought intofixed sealing contact throughout their length therewith; substantiallyas set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, the hollow ductile stopper havingthe closed lower end and the sides which diverge upward and outward tothe extreme upper external edge GUSTAVE KOCH.

Witnesses:

J. H. REILLY, ALBERT T. OTTO.

